Railway-signal.



I J. ,1). ROETT RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1909.

964,814. 7 Patented July 19, 1910.

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J. D. ROETT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1909 Patented Ju1y19, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. ROETT, 0F SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. Rom-r, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to power-operated semaphore signals, and is designed to provide a bearing mechanism for signals of this type which shall operate the signal in both the lower and upper quadrant; that is, both below and above the horizontal or normal position.

The bearing mechanism of my invention is particularly adapted to operate in this manner a counterweighted signal of the type and arrangement shown and described in Letters Patent No. 514,191, granted to Henry Johnson, under date of February 6, 1894.

An important feature of my invention consists in its adaptability to being operated by any type of signal mechanism having two arms or driving rods, each of which arms or driving rods is raised and lowered independently of the other.

I will describe a railway signal bearing mechanism embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 taken on the line XX, looking in the direction of the arrow. In these two views the parts of the mechanism are in the positions they assume when the semaphore is in its horizontal position of indication. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing the relative positions of the parts of the mechanism during the movement from the horizontal position of the semaphore arm to the upper or caution position of said semaphore arm. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view slmilar to Fig. 5, but showing the relative positions of the parts of the mechanism when the semaphore arm has moved to its lower or clear position. Fi 7 is a view partially in elevation and partially in section taken on the line YY of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

10 designates a bearing case in which a shaft 2 is journaled in the usual manner. Secured to the shaft 2 is a visual signal device 1, here shown as being a semaphore, comprising a blade A and a counterweight B: The counterweight B is adapted, when the semaphore is free to turn, to move the blade 1 to a horizontal position, which generally indicates danger or stop. A semaphore and counterweight of this construction are described in Letters Patent No. 514,191, previously referred to. Secured to the semaphore shaft 2 is an operating sleeve 5, the extended hubs of which, designated as 11 and 12 in Fig. 7 act as journals upon which chain drums 3 and 4 are free to rotate. Projecting radially part way around the operating sleeve 5 is a lug 20, the faces of which lug 17 and 18 are adapted to be engaged at different times by segmental bosses 15 and 16 on chain drums 3 and 4, thus rotating the operating sleeve 5 and the semaphore shaft 2 in one direction or the other, as hereinafter described. Two cranks 8 and 14 are free to turn on an intermediate shaft 13, said cranks being maintained in their proper locations on the shaft 13 by means of a separating collar 21. Crank 8 is operated by a driving rod 9, and crank 14 is operated by a driving rod 19, said rods 9 and 19 being raised and lowered by means of a signal operating mechanism which is not shown but which may be'of any form having two arms independently controlled.

Attached to both the crank 8 and the drum 3 is a chain 6, so crossed between the two as to rotate drum 3 in the opposite direction to crank 8, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5; crank 14 and drum 4 are also operatively connected by a chain 7, but in such manner that they will rotate in the same relative direction, as shown in Fig. 6.

Projecting from the inside face of chain drum 3 is a segmental boss 15 which engages with the face 17 of the lug 20 on driving sleeve 5, thus rotating the driving sleeve 5 and the shaft 2 in one direction, 'iving movement to the semaphore 1 toward its upper or caution position of indication. Similarly the semaphore shaft 2 is rotated in the other direction by means of a segmental boss 16 which projects from the inside face of chain drum 4, and which en- Thus the same motion of the intermediate cranks 8 and 14 will give opposite directions of rotation to the drums 3 and 4, and hence opposite directions of rotation to the semaphore shaft 2 from the middle or horizontal position of the semaphore arm.

As will be noted on the diagrammatic drawings 3, 4 and 5, the first half of the travel of crank 8 and chain drum 3, from the lowest position of the driving rod 9 is lost motion, there being no rotation of the operating sleeve 5 until the boss 15 engages the face 17 of the lug 20 on operat ing sleeve 5. This is to give clearance to the operating sleeve 5 that it may rotate through an equal are in the opposite direc= tion from the horizontal position of the semaphore whileit is giving movement in the lower quadrant without engaging the lug 15 on the chain drum 3. Similarly, for movement in the lower quadrant, the first half of the travel of the crank 14 and drum 4 from the lowest position of the driving rod 19 is lost motion, tlius permitting the operating sleeve 5 to rotate in the opposite direction for upper quadrant movement without the face 18 of lug 20 coming into engagement with the boss 16 on drum 4.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, a complete movement of the semaphore 1 from the horizontal or danger position to the upper or caution position is as follows: Starting from the lower' positio'n of the crank 8 as shown in Fig. 3, the crank moves upward, operated by the driving rod from the mech anism beneath and rotating chain drum 3 by means of chain 6 until the boss 15 on chain drum 3 engages the face 17 of la 20 on driving sleeve 5. This position is s own in Fig. 4. The movement of the parts to this point has been the lost motion previously mentioned, and the lug 15 new begins to rotate the operating sleeve 5, bringing the semaphore into the upper or caution position as shown in Fig. 5. Upon release of the operating mechanism the semaphore will return to its horizontal or danger position by gravity as heretofore described, the parts assuming the positions shown in Fig. 3. For movement in the lower quadrant the crank 14 is driven upward, rotating by means of chain 7 the chain drum 4 until the boss 16 on said chain drum 4 engages face 18 of the lug 20 on the driving sleeve 5, when the driving sleeve 5, shaft 2, and semaphore 1 are rotated toward the down ward or clear position shown in Fig. 6. Upon release of the operating mechanism the semaphore will return by gravity to its horizontal or danger position, as here tofore described, the parts again assuming the relative positions shown in Fig.

It is to be understoodthat this device is capable of various modifications, without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. For exariiple, although chains are specified in the accompanying embodiment, these chains may be substituted by a scheme of gearing, the crank 8 and chain drum 3 being replaced by a pair of segmental gears, the crank 14 being omitted entirely, and operating rod 19 being connected directly to the drum 4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: p

1.- In combination with a counterweighted signal device normally in a central position and having movement in two opposite directions from such central position; two rods independently actuated; means intermediate said rods and said signal device and operated by said rods, for moving said signal device in either direction.

2. In combination with a counterweighted signal device normally in a central position and having movement in two opposite directions from such central position; two rods independently operated; cranks operatively connected with said rods; and chains intermediate said cranks and said signal device, and operated by said cranks for moving the signal device in either direction.

3. In combination, acounterweighted semaphore, a shaft therefor, shoulders secured to said shaft; two 0 positely rotating drums having projections 'or engaging said shoulders; and two rods, independently actuated, operatively connected with said drums.

4. In combination with a counterweighted signal device normally in a central position and having movement in two opposite directions from such central position; independent means for moving it in either direction; and lost motion devices to permit said signal device to move in one direction without conflicting with the means for moving it in the opposite direction.

5. In combination with a counterweighted signal device normally in a central position and having movement in two opposite directions from such central position; a shaft to which said signal device is secured; driving shoulders secured to said shaft; two operating drums rotating in opposite directions, and having projections for engaging said shoulders to rotate said shaft in either direction, and lost motion devices to permit said shaft to rotate in either direction without the shoulders engaging the drum which rotates it in the opposite direction; and independent means for rotating said drums. v

6. In combination with a counterweighted signal device the semaphore blade of which has a normal horizontal position, means for supporting said signal device that the blade may have movements above and below its horizontal position, two rods independently actuated; and means intermediate said rods and said signal device and operated by said 5 has a normal horizontal position, a shaft for supporting the signal device so that the blade may have movements above and below its horizontal position, two rods independently actuated, and means intermediate said rods 10 and said signal device and operated by said rods for moving said signal device above and below its horizontal position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN D. ROETT.

Witnesses:

E. T. BARNES, HARRY RUSHWORTH. 

